Julie Kopach
February 2023
Julie
Kopach
,
ASN, RN
Special Care Nursery
Indiana University Health Bloomington Hospital
Bloomington
,
IN
United States

 

 

 

Julie was my rock that night. She hugged me and assured me my baby girl was in the best care.
I've known Julie now for 4.5 years as she cared for all three of my children who were all born very prematurely. 

Recently, my 19 month old daughter was transferred from another hospital via ambulance to IUBH. It was a very scary time for my husband and me. Julie saw me in the waiting room while I was waiting for my baby girl to get her IV. She greeted me with a hug and promised once she got settled into work she would go to my daughter who was on the Peds unit and make sure she was okay and wasn't alone. I cannot explain to you how much this meant to me. 

I went back into the room a while later to find that the Peds nurses were struggling to get an IV in my daughter. Julie kept reassuring me that she was okay and decided she would give it a shot to get her IV placed. I felt so at ease with her and I could tell so did my daughter.

Julie was able to get her IV placed and comforted my little girl. She even told her she was so strong and deserved a toy and brought her a cabbage patch doll for a job well done.

Throughout the night my daughter got worse and was having so much trouble breathing that it was decided she needed to be Life Lined to Riley Hospital in Carmel. As one would expect, I was incredibly distraught and worried as my husband had gone home for the night to be with our daughter's twin brother and our older son. I was alone, and scared, and there were so many unknowns to me after a night of no sleep.

Julie heard that my daughter was going to be life lined to Riley and came back to our room to stay with us until she was taken away. Julie was my rock that night. She hugged me and assured me my baby girl was in the best care and that she would be loved and cared for until I could get to the hospital as I wasn't able to fly with her. She told me it was okay for me to cry and that I was just as strong as my daughter for all I'd been through.

I will never, ever forget Julie for being my person in my and my daughter's time of need.

I've never met a nurse who deserves to be recognized more than Julie Kopach.

Note: This is Julie's 2nd DAISY Award!